Duwayne Dunham is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on the cult classic films The Goonies, Little Giants, and Halloweentown. He started his career as an actor before moving behind the camera to work as an assistant director on some of the most iconic films of the 1980s.
Dunham was born in San Diego, California in 1956. He grew up in the Southern California area, studying acting and directing at an early age. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television, where he studied film and television production.
In the early 1980s, Dunham began his career as an actor, appearing in such films as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Goonies. It was during the production of The Goonies that Dunham was inspired to pursue a career in directing. After the success of the film, Dunham worked as a second assistant director on a number of films, including The Lost Boys, Die Hard, and Streets of Fire.
In the 1990s, Dunham made the jump to directing and wrote and directed two feature films; Little Giants and Halloweentown. Little Giants was a children's comedy about two brothers who enter a football tournament to save their family's farm. The film was a box office success and is still remembered fondly by its fans. Halloweentown was a fantasy-comedy about a teenage girl who discovers she is descended from a long line of witches and warlocks. The film was a hit on the Disney Channel and spawned three sequels.
Throughout the 2000s, Dunham continued to work as a director and producer, working on television movies and shows like The Librarian series, The Santa Clause 3, and the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place. He has also served as a producer on other films, such as The Goonies sequel, The Lost Boys: The Tribe, and the romantic comedy, Leap Year.
Duwayne Dunham's career has seen him make a lasting impression on the film industry and the hearts of many movie fans. He has been credited for helping to shape the landscape of modern cinema by introducing beloved characters, stories, and worlds. His unique vision of storytelling and his passion for film will continue to inspire filmmakers for years to come.
